196 The Global HIV Epidemics among Sex Workers
Figure 4.21 (Table 4.B.16) presents the number of new HIV infections and trends of these infections among female sex workers in Thailand when ART is expanded among eligible adults, according to national estimates, by 2016. An additional scenario depicts the impact when the expansion of ART is combined with expanded coverage of the community empowerment-based, comprehensive HIV prevention among sex workers, reaching 70% by 2016. These scenarios are compared against the Status Quo, which represents maintained coverage levels of ART and community empowerment-based, comprehensive HIV prevention from 2011 through 2016. A total of 600 new infections among sex workers are averted between 2012 and 2016 when ART expands among the adult population, as compared to the status quo. This represents a 22% reduction in new infections among female sex workers. With the addition of the community empowerment-based, comprehensive HIV prevention, almost 800 new infections are averted, resulting in a 28% reduction in new infections among sex workers between 2012 and 2016. In the presence of ART expansion, the community empowerment-based, comprehensive HIV prevention averts almost 200 infections. Figure 4.21 Expansion of ART among Adult Population in Combination with Community Empowerment-based, Comprehensive HIV Prevention: Trends in New HIV Infections among Female Sex Workers
650
New infections
600 550
Status quo
450
Baseline + ART1
500 400 350
ART1 and scale 70
300 250
200 2011
2012
Source: Authors. Note: ART = antiretroviral therapy.
2013
Year
2014
2015
2016
Figure 4.22 (Table 4.B.17) display the prevalence of HIV infection among female sex workers. The HIV epidemic among female sex workers, as well as the adult population is declining; a trend that is evident with the Status Quo scenario. The slightly higher prevalence observed with the expansion of